April 2002

The Way It Is

Following the success of It's Like That, this study continues querying the attitudes and aspirations of disadvantaged young people, shifting the focus to young people who've been excluded from compulsory education, who have left care, or who are from ethnic minority backgrounds.  

Read a research summary of The Way It Is

Key findings

Young people from minority ethnic backgrounds are consistently over-represented in indices of disadvantage. They are more likely to face barriers at school and in the workplace, even though they stay on in education longer. But despite the prejudice they face, young people from minority ethnic communities are up-beat about their lives.

  • They feel strongly about their British identity and often prioritise this over their cultural

heritage.

  • Family support networks are extremely important, particularly to those from the Asian community.
  • Whilst young people are generally happy with, and integrated into, their communities and appreciate the benefits of cultural diversity, they recognise that some communities become voluntarily mono-cultural.
  • Many young people felt their religion was something that set them apart from mainstream British culture. Young British Muslims reported feeling ‘singled out’ and ‘looked at differently’ in the wake of events in America on September 11th.
  • Staying on in further education is a priority for the young people in our study, with 77% wanting to continue in full-time education. Qualifications are seen as vital to securing the job they want in the future.
  • Variation exists amongst ethnic groups regarding attitudes towards education, with Bangladeshi and African Caribbean young people consistently the most pessimistic and withdrawn.
  • Young people from minority ethnic backgrounds experience prejudice both at school and in the labour market but are remarkably mature about the causes of racism. They feel they can cope with racism and are determined to succeed despite society’s prejudice.
  • However, one in three young people feel that their race puts them at a disadvantage. Some believe that their race excludes them from certain parts of society. Young people who live in rural areas appear to experience a greater degree of discrimination than their urban peers.
  • Young people from minority ethnic groups are generally interested in current affairs and 58% said they would vote in the next general election although 44% believed that ‘politicians don’t care about people like me’.